tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42464507670504871632017-08-02T11:11:25.439-07:00Study Abroad LithuaniaStudy Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-40901638585583190452014-01-15T12:17:00.003-08:002014-01-15T12:17:36.898-08:00world traveler necessities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YRJF38h03xQ/Utbsjn4PNpI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/UxpqQBcY3Vo/s1600/to+pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YRJF38h03xQ/Utbsjn4PNpI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/UxpqQBcY3Vo/s1600/to+pack.jpg" height="640" width="636" /></a></div><br />Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-54982350244500321752013-12-19T06:25:00.000-08:002013-12-19T07:22:28.182-08:00Thoughts Upon Re-Entry - Catherine, from Cornerstone<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znSDvyoffsU/UrMArbxbkAI/AAAAAAAAA4A/UsBH3wh1ypk/s1600/1467355_473669792749834_545625416_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znSDvyoffsU/UrMArbxbkAI/AAAAAAAAA4A/UsBH3wh1ypk/s400/1467355_473669792749834_545625416_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">As my time here in Lithuania is getting shorter and shorter I cannot help but think about returning back to the United States.&nbsp; My heart is heavy as I think about returning home and back to Cornerstone.&nbsp; It is not that I do not want to go home, it is that I do not want to leave.&nbsp; Of course I am looking forward to running into my family's arms at the airport and sitting around the fire place showing pictures and sharing stories of my time here in Lithuania. However, I am not the same person I was when I got on a plane 4 short months ago.&nbsp; I have made friendships and had new experiences that have opened my eyes and impacted me in ways that I could not have expected, not even a little.&nbsp; I will cling to every memory and know that I have left part of myself here in Lithuania.&nbsp; With this being said I ask for your patience and understanding as I return back to Michigan.&nbsp; This is not going to be an easy transition for me.&nbsp; Not only am I a different person, but I am leaving behind people that have helped me become more of who I want to be.&nbsp; I'm leaving relationships that have blessed me in ways I could never imagine. They have become my family and LCC has become my home away from home; they have taught me how to truly love and have challenged me in numerous ways. This has been a time of extreme growth and I hope that I can only continue to grow and discover more about myself and the world around me.</span></div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-11470609034223848422013-12-04T09:25:00.001-08:002013-12-04T09:27:46.518-08:00Russia Trip Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-15_baQoRC2w/Up9gvsBInDI/AAAAAAAAA3o/mUAwKZp_w3U/s1600/6d301c0442fc11e3a37d22000a9f50cd_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo9EEvwHzGU/Up9gvoPmjVI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/a8wXfiIQYYY/s1600/91a1d7de3fe211e3a2f822000a9e0707_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo9EEvwHzGU/Up9gvoPmjVI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/a8wXfiIQYYY/s320/91a1d7de3fe211e3a2f822000a9e0707_8.jpg" width="320" /></a>On our way to Riga to catch the overnight train we stopped at hill of crosses in Lithuania. Before we arrived we were told the Soviets tried to destroy hill of crosses a few times, but Lithuanians kept replacing the crosses overnight. It became a sign of love for the country of Lithuania and for the people fighting for the freedom of Lithuania. When we arrived to hill of crosses the amount of crosses truly astounded me, however once we climbed to the top, where it looked as though the hill stopped, the crosses just kept on going. There had to be thousands upon thousands of crosses. I couldn't help but think of the amazing hope the people of Lithuania held and the amazing hope there is in Jesus. I was overcome by a sense of peace and perseverance. Wandering through the thousands of crosses I felt the presence of God in the midst, as if He was walking right next to me. <br /><br />The journey to Russia all started when we got on an overnight train from Riga, Latvia to Moscow. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-15_baQoRC2w/Up9gvsBInDI/AAAAAAAAA3o/mUAwKZp_w3U/s1600/6d301c0442fc11e3a37d22000a9f50cd_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-15_baQoRC2w/Up9gvsBInDI/AAAAAAAAA3o/mUAwKZp_w3U/s320/6d301c0442fc11e3a37d22000a9f50cd_8.jpg" width="320" /></a> The train was not what I was expecting at all, but as they served us tea and we all sat around and talked I couldn't help but feel it was an amazing start to the trip. After we got off the train we jumped on the metro and went to put our bags at our hostel. Getting on the metro I was intimidated by the hustle and bustle of the city, but soon I would be comfortable in these metros going from place to place in the city. The first place we visited after putting our bags at the hostel was red square. Upon entering red square I had no thoughts, no words. It was as if time was suspended for a moment. The beauty before me was nothing like I had ever seen before. The vibrant colors of St Basil's church, the architecture of the Kremlin, I did not know what to think. My mind was blown and we hadn't even been in Moscow for 24 hours. On that same day we had a walking tour of the Kremlin. My favorite part was the cathedral square. Upon entering this square there were beautiful churches on all sides of us. My eyes didn't know where to look, it was all so beautiful. This same night we attended a circus performance in Moscow. This was truly amazing! I had not recalled the last time I attended a circus, if ever. The talent of the people at the circus was astonishing, there were even times when I had to close my eyes in fear for these people. <br /><br />The following day we went back to St. Basil's Cathedral and we attended a service at Christ the Savior Church.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--PtjTw0ol8Q/Up9gvubYntI/AAAAAAAAA3U/IzSIIdrd9wU/s1600/8dad0dc243a911e39fda22000a1f8ae8_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--PtjTw0ol8Q/Up9gvubYntI/AAAAAAAAA3U/IzSIIdrd9wU/s320/8dad0dc243a911e39fda22000a1f8ae8_8.jpg" width="320" /></a>&nbsp; The service was different from any other church service I was used to. When observing the worshipers attending the service I couldn't help but learn from them. They stood through the entire service never losing focus of the altar. They were in such a prayerful state, nothing could distract them, not even a herd of Americans standing in on their service. That evening we returned to red square, and even though we were all overcome with exhaustion we hesitantly went to red square, and I'm happy we did. This may have been my highlight of the Moscow trip. The beauty of the red square was now amplified with all the lights and the dark clouds hanging in the sky. <br /><br />The following day we went on our excursion to St. Petersburg. The following morning we went on a long walking tour of the city. Our tour guide was amazing, showing us all the ins and outs of the city that he loves. That evening we attended a show called Feel Yourself Russian where we were able to absorb more of Russia's rich history through dancing, song, food, and drink. This evening was one I will never forget. You could feel the passion and love these performers had for their country. <br /><br />The following day I went to Yusupov Palace. Upon entering the palace I felt right at home. :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZGkE3S-Apo/Up9gwbVAY-I/AAAAAAAAA3k/nxV2cdB843Y/s1600/dc319760433611e3bf4822000a1ddbe2_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZGkE3S-Apo/Up9gwbVAY-I/AAAAAAAAA3k/nxV2cdB843Y/s1600/dc319760433611e3bf4822000a1ddbe2_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZGkE3S-Apo/Up9gwbVAY-I/AAAAAAAAA3k/nxV2cdB843Y/s320/dc319760433611e3bf4822000a1ddbe2_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The large chandeliers and beauty struck me with awe. We then arrived to the Hermitage museum, the largest art museum in the world. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I was able to see art by Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Davinci, Michelangelo, and my personal favorite Rembrandt. This was a dream come true. Walking through the Hermitage I was struck by gratefulness that I would even get this opportunity to stand before such works of beauty and such history. I got to observe works of art that some only dream about. <br /><br />The next day I got the privilege of going to Dostoyevsky's apartment. Dostoyevsky is the author of Crime and Punishment and is a honored author of Russia. I was able to walk around his home and see where his work was done, where he spent his free time, and I even saw some of his transcripts. It always blows me away to be in the presence of such great work. We also attended the Nutcracker ballet that night. This was a ballet like none other. Not was the ballet one of perfection, but the theater itself was a work of art. The atmosphere that surrounded us was enough to make us feel royal.<br /><br />Of course these are only a few of the highlights from my trip, and my words do not even do them justice. I count my blessings everyday that I'm lucky enough to have an opportunity like this to experience the world and the history of the world rather than a textbook. My knowledge and outlook on the world continues to grow everyday here, and for that I am forever grateful. I'm getting an education unlike any other. </div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<strong class="_36" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: &quot;lucida grande&quot;, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1; margin: 1px 0px 4px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=516672998&amp;extragetparams=%7B%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/catherine.taylor.560" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Catherine Taylor</a>&nbsp;from Cornerstone</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo9EEvwHzGU/Up9gvoPmjVI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/a8wXfiIQYYY/s1600/91a1d7de3fe211e3a2f822000a9e0707_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eFOm9pzOiz8/Up9gwLVTlVI/AAAAAAAAA3s/kMKZe2GwsoU/s1600/d9322e3e3f3b11e3989522000a9f3c91_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eFOm9pzOiz8/Up9gwLVTlVI/AAAAAAAAA3s/kMKZe2GwsoU/s320/d9322e3e3f3b11e3989522000a9f3c91_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZGkE3S-Apo/Up9gwbVAY-I/AAAAAAAAA3k/nxV2cdB843Y/s1600/dc319760433611e3bf4822000a1ddbe2_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>&nbsp;</div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-2156975789070411452013-10-16T05:49:00.002-07:002013-10-17T02:31:31.332-07:00With Mother Teresa's missionary sisters - Catherine from Cornersone<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Two weeks ago a few of us went for our first&nbsp;<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1223411925" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">saturday</span></span>&nbsp;of volunteering with the Missionary Sisters. The Missionary Sisters are <span style="font-size: x-small;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mother Teresa's order of nuns. What an adventure it was! We had to go to the next city over from</span><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgXQ7SxsqdU/Ul6J9ZrJcjI/AAAAAAAAA2w/LRO8-dV36_Y/s1600/Missionary+sisters+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgXQ7SxsqdU/Ul6J9ZrJcjI/AAAAAAAAA2w/LRO8-dV36_Y/s320/Missionary+sisters+1.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Klaipeda, called Kretinga. Arriving at Kretinga was not a problem, however once we arrived in Kretinga we got a bit lost. I was the only one who had been to the place we were going before and my sense of direction is not all that up to par, so we spent at least an hour walking around Kretinga looking for the Missionary Sisters. We were all about ready to give up and get the next bus to Klaipeda when we spotted the building with the bright blue roof in the distance. When we finally arrived the sisters laughed and laughed with us as we told our story of going ALL over Kretinga in search for them. We helped clean up from the soup kitchen that we were supposed to help serve at. As we were cleaning we got to talk with the sisters a bit more. I am so inspired by their joyfulness. These ladies are filled with genuine joy and the love of Christ radiates from them. We ended up going to mass with these lovely ladies and even though the entire mass was in Lithuanian it was amazing watching these sisters worship with their whole hearts. Their love for the Lord was evident and you could tell in the way they prayed and worshiped, even though it was in a different language. Love is understood in every language.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vaN0Wv7upJo/Ul6JlCwIaTI/AAAAAAAAA2o/yXabzc_VMIA/s1600/index2_clip_image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vaN0Wv7upJo/Ul6JlCwIaTI/AAAAAAAAA2o/yXabzc_VMIA/s320/index2_clip_image004.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vaN0Wv7upJo/Ul6JlCwIaTI/AAAAAAAAA2o/yXabzc_VMIA/s1600/index2_clip_image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again this past week we went to volunteer with the missionary sisters for the second time. My love for them and their joy just increased. While some of the girls humbly skinned chickens, Gerry and I got to help make things for the children. I made booklets, and Gerry painted little figures. We got to spend time with the head nun and she opened up to us a little bit more about her life, and it astounded me. My respect for these ladies is huge. She speaks multiple languages and has many ministries, she has truly given EVERYTHING for the Lord.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;It really made me contemplate what I am holding back from God, and why would I do that when true joy is found in Him. While working on our projects this elderly lady walked in the room asking the head nun for help unbuttoning her jacket when she began talking with us. She was 91 years old and told us of how she kept her faith in the communist times by holding classes of catechism in her house for the children. She told us to never lose our faith. When I looked into this lady's eyes I saw a beauty that trumps all earthly beauty.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;She was glowing with the love of Christ. It was as if each wrinkle on her porcelain face was a story of faith and perseverance. These people of faith are truly Christians who have remained faithful through persecution. We again attended mass and I chose to sit next to this lady. When it came time to kneel, she was the first one on her knees, without hesitation. What a warrior for Christ. Every time I go help these wonderful nuns I feel as though they are helping me more than I can ever help them. We offer a few hours of service, but they give us lessons and memories that will last a lifetime.”</span></div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-63031683165289273112013-10-08T04:37:00.000-07:002013-10-08T04:37:33.169-07:00The past two months - Christine from APU<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A lot has happened these past two months. I can defiantly say that God has been working in my life and changed me in such a little span of time. I can’t wait to see what He has in store for me to learn these next two months. Ever since being abroad, the Lord has changed my perspective on the way I see the world, people, cultures, myself, and most importantly my relationship with Him. I am constantly being reminded by Him to&nbsp;<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be present</em>.&nbsp;<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Be present</em></strong>&nbsp;in my life and the time that I am here.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rp2wnaQe88A/UlPthghMpKI/AAAAAAAAA2A/uSvOmBnMlAE/s1600/tumblr_inline_mu9cvynxZn1s0c843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rp2wnaQe88A/UlPthghMpKI/AAAAAAAAA2A/uSvOmBnMlAE/s320/tumblr_inline_mu9cvynxZn1s0c843.jpg" width="240" /></a>This past weekend, I spent in Stockholm, Sweden I had a huge feeling of being caught in between two different worlds. During the trip, I started to think about everyone at home. I missed my family, friends, dog, school and the comforts of my hometown (including the weather). At the same moment, I started to miss my international roommates and a lot of the students here at LCC whether they are international or other fellow study abroads from America. My heart started to ache at the thought that I have to leave this beautiful place and the people here in just two months. And my heart ached at the same time to return home to my country and my family. It can be confusing being caught in between two different worlds, but at the same time I am sooo thankful that I have had this opportunity to grow as a person, learn from others, and to love others. Although in two months I will leave this wonderful place with a new perspective, relationships, and worldview, it will be bittersweet. I look forward to seeing my family, and friends back at home. I also know I will miss the new relationships I have been blessed with here. But as for now God is reminding me to&nbsp;<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be present</strong>.</em>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So far I’ve come to realize that s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ometimes God asks us to go places in the world and in our lives and we will not understand why but to just trust Him. I know now to just trust that He has a plan and that being in a specific place at a specific time is a part of the plan that I have not fully yet come to see but will come to understand in the future. He works in miraculous ways, and He makes all things work together for our good. &nbsp;Thank you for reading.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUSs0ieSlKM/UlPtsQNGsaI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/xX_TDSOJyIc/s1600/1376559_10200784886365124_1196537037_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUSs0ieSlKM/UlPtsQNGsaI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/xX_TDSOJyIc/s320/1376559_10200784886365124_1196537037_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div><br /><span style="background-color: transparent;">Isaiah 58:11</span><br /><br /><div style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The&nbsp;<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord</span>&nbsp;will guide&nbsp;you always;</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">he will satisfy your needs&nbsp;in a sun-scorched land</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and will strengthen&nbsp;your frame.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You will be like a well-watered garden,</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">like a spring&nbsp;whose waters never fail.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div></div></div></div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-17726358928073482582013-10-02T10:41:00.000-07:002013-10-03T05:09:01.032-07:00Trip to Estonia and Latvia! - Catherine from Cornerstone<h3 style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></span></h3><h3 style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">What a weekend!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--fi5zHgBrno/UkxZKCidPAI/AAAAAAAAA1w/MjfmtBmwL_A/s1600/10b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--fi5zHgBrno/UkxZKCidPAI/AAAAAAAAA1w/MjfmtBmwL_A/s320/10b.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My weekend has been a whirlwind, but a GREAT one! Our weekend adventure to Estonia and Latvia began with falling asleep in a bus in Lithuania and waking up in Tallin (the largest city and capitol of Estonia) for breakfast. &nbsp;There is nothing like waking up to "Guys we are in Estonia, time for an all you can eat breakfast!" &nbsp;Stepping off the bus I was instantly struck by the beauty of Tallinn. &nbsp;The buildings were absolutely captivating.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">While walking around old town I was absolutely breathless. &nbsp;My favorite part was a look out over the entire city. &nbsp;We walked over to the edge of this lookout and I was overcome by awe. &nbsp;I thought about the documentary we had previously watched in our cross cultural seminar about the independence of Estonia. &nbsp;I could not help but share in the pride the people feel for their Estonia. &nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></span></h3><h3 style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">The next day we ventured to the city of Riga in Latvia. &nbsp;We arrived in the early evening and were able to see the remnants of a festival that had occurred that day and visit a giant market in the town square. &nbsp;There were pumpkins everywhere which filled my yearning for the fall and made my heart very happy &nbsp;This city was beautiful as well. &nbsp;The buildings were colorful and antique. &nbsp;We walked down to the water and walked along the bridge at sunset. &nbsp;It was truly as if God took a paint brush and just exploded paints all over the sky. &nbsp;The clouds were arranged in such a way they instantly provoked wonder and contemplation.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">The following day in Riga we went to church. &nbsp;I was still reminded of the diversity of God. &nbsp;It seems that every time I go to a different church I'm reminded of how awesome our God is. &nbsp;There are so many different ways of worship, and God loves all of them and all of us the same. &nbsp;He has no favorites and He knows the heart of His people, and that is all that matters to Him</span></span></h3><span style="color: black;"><br /></span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-27277390489816425172013-09-13T04:10:00.002-07:002013-09-13T04:10:41.683-07:00 Embracing other culture's food - Angela from Messiah <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Through all of this frustration of not having breakfast, lunch, and dinner prepared and handed to me by Messiah’s Lottie workers, I have learned to embrace other culture’s foods. The other night, a Turkish friend made Turkish pizza and pide (SO good!), and I’ve had Dutch pasta and have tried many of my roommate’s dishes (she also happens to be Turkish<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></span><img alt=":D" class="wp-smiley" src="http://s0.wp.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif?m=1129645325g" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: currentColor; color: #666666; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; height: auto; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>). Food is a great way to learn about other people and to engage in conversation with them. Food is common among anyone, even between people who don’t speak the same language.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7pG1OwVNVP8/UjLyYoEsvbI/AAAAAAAAA1k/l3X3rzSuiKU/s1600/liliya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7pG1OwVNVP8/UjLyYoEsvbI/AAAAAAAAA1k/l3X3rzSuiKU/s400/liliya.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><div align="right"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div align="right">&nbsp;</div><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong class="_36" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: &quot;lucida grande&quot;, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1; margin: 1px 0px 4px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></strong><strong class="_36" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: &quot;lucida grande&quot;, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1; margin: 1px 0px 4px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div align="right">&nbsp;</div></strong><div align="right">&nbsp;</div></span><div align="right">&nbsp;</div></span><div align="right">&nbsp;</div></span><br /><div align="right">&nbsp;</div><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong class="_36" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: &quot;lucida grande&quot;, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1; margin: 1px 0px 4px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></strong></span></span><div align="right"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong class="_36" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: &quot;lucida grande&quot;, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1; margin: 1px 0px 4px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">&nbsp;</strong></span></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/23px Muli, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong class="_36" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: &quot;lucida grande&quot;, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1; margin: 1px 0px 4px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></strong></span></span><br /><br />Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-63770697133356687862013-09-09T06:02:00.000-07:002013-09-09T06:02:53.952-07:00Reflection after church service - Sam from Eastern<div class="MsoNormal">We attended Catholic Mass in a huge cathedral in a nearby town. It was all in Lithuanian and yet it was so incredibly powerful for me. As they gave out the communion, they played a song we frequently sing in my home church, and I listened as the words I know by heart rang out in a different language. I was struck by just how multilingual our great God is. Even when I am in my home church singing in English, He is with so many others around the globe, continuously loving His people at all hours of the day and night.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FfouMmIYzE4/Ui3Fwx0fZCI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/j9ewefXh_9Y/s1600/IMG_0944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FfouMmIYzE4/Ui3Fwx0fZCI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/j9ewefXh_9Y/s400/IMG_0944.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-76577738044550282872013-09-03T04:37:00.000-07:002013-09-03T04:37:08.910-07:00We are now on Bloglovin!<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10495009/?claim=etqan337krm">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-55757376285657434692013-06-11T09:03:00.003-07:002013-06-11T09:04:42.725-07:00My semester in photos: find moose - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 10)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BhutGbUx2cg/UbdKIMSb5oI/AAAAAAAAA0k/gZOcDq-W9Q8/s1600/Traviss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BhutGbUx2cg/UbdKIMSb5oI/AAAAAAAAA0k/gZOcDq-W9Q8/s640/Traviss.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Me with a moose.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Moose<br /><br />Lesson: Find moose.<br /><br />The highlights of my time in Lithuania have been from simple walking around, getting out, and exploring. Like this time I saw a moose. </span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-18011243831609235832013-06-06T20:53:00.002-07:002013-06-06T20:56:37.254-07:00My semester in photos: learn from the relationships you are given - Travis from Waynesburg (part 9)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOYoIXG-IoE/UbFY5I2cPoI/AAAAAAAAA0U/iM9_wRIdNPY/s1600/Travis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOYoIXG-IoE/UbFY5I2cPoI/AAAAAAAAA0U/iM9_wRIdNPY/s640/Travis.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Krista Simmons, Marlene Wall, Susie Lambright, Justine Sutton, and Taylor Nelson at the beach in Klaipeda, Lithuania.</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Tri-S, Love<br /><br />Lesson: Learn from the relationships you are given.<br /><br />As part of the program the study abroad students are assigned to groups in which they meet to debrief about their time overseas. I was bless to have Marlene and Susie be my Tri-S moms. The group is great in that we build relationships with our fellow study abroads, get to develop relationships with faculty, and most importantly get fed for free. This photo is from our final Tri-S that was held on the beach as we waited for the other two members our group.</span> Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-68276135353228950112013-06-04T14:18:00.002-07:002013-06-06T20:57:02.521-07:00My semester in photos: befriend locals - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 8)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hx5Dq86m-ao/Ua5ZKyKvNuI/AAAAAAAAAz0/_Qefq8ZdDt8/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hx5Dq86m-ao/Ua5ZKyKvNuI/AAAAAAAAAz0/_Qefq8ZdDt8/s640/blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">CMAP students and study abroad students at the beach in Klaipeda, Lithuania.</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Friends, CMAP, Explore<br /><br />Lesson: Befriend locals.<br /><br />When coming to LCC the program encourages you to take opportunities with the school whether that be an internship, editing papers, helping with chapel band, or one of the many other options. As an education major I decided it would be beneficial for me both to help tech English to third and fourth grade students, as well as become part of a program called CMAP (Community Multicultural Awareness Program). The program is aimed for tenth grade students to learn and discuss global issues such as human rights, genocide, and human trafficking. While the program only last six weeks some of the students still wanted to continue the relationship that was built over the sessions. This is a photo that was taken of them showing us a part of the beach neither my friend Taylor Nelson or myself have been too.</span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-16815174363127979972013-05-29T13:26:00.001-07:002013-06-06T20:57:28.201-07:00My semester in photos: research your hostel! - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 7)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tH_68oUkD1Y/UaZj-bRYu5I/AAAAAAAAAzk/nspm1nQGwgQ/s1600/Turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tH_68oUkD1Y/UaZj-bRYu5I/AAAAAAAAAzk/nspm1nQGwgQ/s640/Turkey.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Free breakfast at the Harmony Hostel in Istanbul, Turkey</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Istanbul, Hagia Sophia</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lesson: Research your hostel.<br /><br />Aside from the trips the program takes us on we also have the ability to travel on our own. Elizabeth Johnson, a fellow study abroad student, and myself decided that we would venture to Istanbul for a three day trip to see as much as we could of this melting pot of east and west. While security and cleanliness are important, I choose this photo to underline the two most crucial aspects when choosing a hostel: location and free breakfast. From the terrace of the hostel we started each morning with some free grub and a view of the beautiful Hagia Sophia.</span></span></div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-19973629979646145852013-05-26T03:54:00.002-07:002013-05-29T13:26:51.294-07:00My semester in photos: explore! - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 6)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3U6-Ww_YUI/UaHpnGhUy8I/AAAAAAAAAzU/2dnrwqG-o6Y/s1600/Tallinn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3U6-Ww_YUI/UaHpnGhUy8I/AAAAAAAAAzU/2dnrwqG-o6Y/s640/Tallinn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>19</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">LCC students and SA Recruiter in Tallinn, Estonia</span></span></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style><![endif]--></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keywords: Group photo, Tallinn, Baltic.<br /><br />Lesson: Explore.<br /><br />The second of trips the program took us on was to Tallinn, Estonia and Riga, Latvia, the capitals of these two Baltic countries. Both Tallinn and Riga were so different in their own ways and each held their own blessings. Tallinn, a more traditional city, gave us the feeling of a medieval village with walking through the cobblestone streets in the day and a traditional Estonian feast at night. One of the highlights of Tallinn was walking out on this cement pier with a group of friends to watch the sunset (behind the clouds) at the Baltic.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-33932055782689373432013-05-21T14:20:00.002-07:002013-05-26T04:00:58.371-07:00My semester in photos: don’t attempt to pet strange cats - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 5)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K0ieFlln0JI/UZvkncNnKOI/AAAAAAAAAzE/sLZMD8_R4Ro/s1600/892726_10151370886728202_707753408_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K0ieFlln0JI/UZvkncNnKOI/AAAAAAAAAzE/sLZMD8_R4Ro/s640/892726_10151370886728202_707753408_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Boris at Edvardas’s house, Lithuania</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Boris.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lesson: Don’t attempt to pet strange cats.<br /><br />Boris. This cat is easily the worst part of my time overseas. Boris is the pet of one of the study abroad interns, of whose house we got to go over. While the cat may have not wanted us there Edvardas and his father made us feel more than welcome as we got to see the home firsthand of someone in Lithuania as well as enjoy some more delicious potato pancakes and wash it down with hot tea, of course.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: LT; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: LT; mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/></v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_7" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="DSC_0465.JPG" style='width:426pt;height:285pt;visibility:visible'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg" o:title=""/></v:shape><![endif]--></span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-48713661278108217572013-05-16T00:45:00.002-07:002013-05-16T00:49:04.270-07:00My semester in photos: right time right place - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 4)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vZEeK2-bj4w/UZSOKeyfhNI/AAAAAAAAAy0/Z00eCoIf0lM/s1600/Christ+the+savior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vZEeK2-bj4w/UZSOKeyfhNI/AAAAAAAAAy0/Z00eCoIf0lM/s640/Christ+the+savior.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: &quot;Cambria&quot;;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, Russia</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Church, Religion, Russia<br /><br />Lesson: Right time right place. </span><br /><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the highlights of this study abroad experience is the traveling both with the program and outside of it. As part of the program the study abroad students take a weeklong trip to Russia, spending time in Moscow and St. Petersburg. I choose this photo as of all the churches I have seen and been into in my time here in Europe, this has easily been my favorite. I mostly attribute this to the fact that when we went inside we were able to view mass which was being held in the basement. As a while the trip to Russia was so unbelievable as I would have never expected to have this opportunity to see such two beautiful and prominent cities.</span></span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-74995512337035245382013-05-13T07:43:00.003-07:002013-05-26T04:02:25.533-07:00My semester in photos: learn about other cultures! - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 3)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vThFPdWgyNg/UZD7urBcQKI/AAAAAAAAAyk/4a7TPimzedM/s1600/turkish+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vThFPdWgyNg/UZD7urBcQKI/AAAAAAAAAyk/4a7TPimzedM/s640/turkish+night.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Various LCC and Klaipeda University students and faculty in Enns hall fifth floor kitchen</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Friends, Tradition, Turkish, Community<br /><br />Lesson: Learn about other cultures!<br /><br />LCC International University is home to students from twenty-six different countries. This creates an opportunity to learn so much about each of these cultures in both formal and informal celebrations. Pictured is of Turkish Food Night, where a few of the students living in the dorm from Klaipeda University fed around thirty people traditional Turkish food. Along with eating we watched an informational video, and ended it off with the best part—traditional Turkish dancing. Learning at LCC does not start or end in the classroom. Learning at LCC is everyday living in the dorms. </span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-80656006194749023412013-05-02T06:56:00.004-07:002013-05-26T04:05:38.365-07:00My semester in photos: don't sit around! - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 2)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LoV9z5iwP6s/UYJwOyKEkcI/AAAAAAAAAxo/caxHEJbIDvQ/s1600/883257_10151306812723202_1571263766_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LoV9z5iwP6s/UYJwOyKEkcI/AAAAAAAAAxo/caxHEJbIDvQ/s640/883257_10151306812723202_1571263766_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Old Mill Hotel in Klaipeda, Lithuania</span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Klaipeda, Sunset<br /><br />Lesson: Don’t sit around!<br /><br />One of the best parts of living in the town is all the things you can see it anytime of the day. I once went into the city and realized that I had a two hour gap of time between when I would be leaving and needing to return. Instead of heading back to campus I decided to walk around with my camera and enjoy the natural beauty of what I now know as home. I was in the right place at the right time to snap this beauty. Being able to walk around alone while still having something to do is not something I am used to in the states as everything where I am from needs driven to. This is just one of the simple pleasures I am going to miss giving up in the return.</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-17104332522462000642013-04-30T03:34:00.004-07:002013-05-13T07:04:10.566-07:00My semester in photos: go to traditional events - Travis from Waynesburg (Part 1)<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: LT; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: LT; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas> <v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"> <o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="DSC_0782.JPG" id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 285pt; visibility: visible; width: 426pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <v:imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\VARTOT~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was asked to pick my ten favorite photos from the semester and write something that explains the photo or why I picked it. With over eight thousand photos from only four months, the task was hard, but I narrowed it down. While these ten photos might not be my ten personal favorites, they all represent an important moment in my time overseas.</span></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4L3gotYefgs/UX-d4Y_lS6I/AAAAAAAAAxY/AfcIkbNvKSg/s1600/ANna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4L3gotYefgs/UX-d4Y_lS6I/AAAAAAAAAxY/AfcIkbNvKSg/s640/ANna.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: Anna Goeglein eating a potato pancake at the Stinta Fish Festival in Palanga, Lithuania.</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keywords: Friends, Fish Festival, Tradition, Potato Pancake<br /><br />Lesson: Go to traditional events!</span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />In the first month in Lithuania a neighboring town to the north, a thirty minute bus ride, holds a weekend annual fish festival. The festival is home to arts and crafts venders and is situated in the coastal beach town of Palanga. Pictured however is the best part, the traditional Eastern European food. The potato is much more than a staple food here in this region, and in so there are many different forms it may take. The potato pancake is easily a godsend as it can be stuffed with meat, vegetables, fruits, - you name it. I loved it so much the first time I went that I went back two more times as it became a nice little get-a-way.</span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>More photos to follow!</i></span></span></div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-3053842249685112012013-04-27T04:50:00.000-07:002013-04-27T04:51:32.773-07:00Internship - Samantha from Eastern <span class="userContent" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At my internship today, the teacher told the kids that I only have one day left with them. One of the little girls raised her hand and said something to the teacher that made her laugh. She then turned to me and said, "She told me that you are going to marry her brother and then you will have to stay in Lithuania forever because she loves you." Then, when her brother came to pick her up, she ran around screaming, "meilė,meilė, meilė!" ("love, love, love"). Man, I couldn't have gotten a better internship.</span></span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-27844369350819657292013-04-24T13:15:00.001-07:002013-04-27T04:51:41.192-07:00Bucket List - Lizz from Messiah<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Upon my decision to study abroad in Lithuania, I desired to soak up all that it had to offer. I wanted to make a wish in Cathedral Square in Vilnius, I wanted to taste the potato pancakes (and potato everything, for that matter), I wanted to see the Baltic Sea and sit on the large sand dunes in Klaipeda, I wanted to dance to the karaoke songs filling Memelis Bar, I wanted to do it all. A lot of these have been ‘checked-off’ the bucket list. However, still a few stragglers have escaped my time the past three and a half months, including those majestic sand dunes!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, as I was challenged to physically write out a bucket list for the last week or two, I found that my aspirations switched from objective to relational. The thing I have found to be most important in Lithuania is the beautiful people that reside here. It is the relationships that are built here that must be cherished the most, because no sand dune will ever imprint upon your heart the way a lifelong friend can.</span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-71798852459807392442013-04-16T22:33:00.002-07:002013-04-27T04:51:50.102-07:00Some moments from the Tallinn - Riga trip<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend study abroad students spend exploring Baltic capitals - Riga and Tallinn. Here are some of the moments from the trip:</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UFKSCJNEkTQ/UW4yl7aRYrI/AAAAAAAAAxM/3QZ0_nHkqFQ/s1600/Tallinn3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UFKSCJNEkTQ/UW4yl7aRYrI/AAAAAAAAAxM/3QZ0_nHkqFQ/s640/Tallinn3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoying architecture in Tallinn. <i>Photo by Kristen</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xYx7CNBOGi0/UW4yjzkZO6I/AAAAAAAAAw4/LBUaj01PV50/s1600/Tallinn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xYx7CNBOGi0/UW4yjzkZO6I/AAAAAAAAAw4/LBUaj01PV50/s640/Tallinn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ben's road rage in the old town. <i>Photo by Kristen</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G1Xm7eplOow/UW4ylE33b4I/AAAAAAAAAw8/DU6odz7U7P4/s1600/Tallinn2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G1Xm7eplOow/UW4ylE33b4I/AAAAAAAAAw8/DU6odz7U7P4/s640/Tallinn2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pure joy in Tallinn.<i> Photo by Kristen</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-34007330860913598742013-04-11T06:58:00.002-07:002013-04-27T04:51:57.965-07:00Being Present - Samantha from Eastern<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am continuously shocked by how quickly time passes. I only have a month of classes left, a week of finals and then I leave Lithuania for my own personal travels in France and Germany. I can pretty much see home at this point. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been increasingly harder to keep up with friendships at home. At first, I would do anything to find time to skype with friends (I still do that for skyping with my mom…) because I wanted to share everything with them. Then homesickness hit me pretty hard so I wanted to talk to them a lot. Now, I make plans to talk but often forget because I’m so caught up in the daily life here. Campus has a lot of stuff going on and I’ve made so many other friends. I know that in a few short weeks, I’ll see my friends from home and things will be okay/we’ll catch up. My focus right now is being present here.</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3v56xqlJJ0/UWbNI9gx0oI/AAAAAAAAAwo/JXkwawEmj7k/s1600/At+kristen's.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3v56xqlJJ0/UWbNI9gx0oI/AAAAAAAAAwo/JXkwawEmj7k/s640/At+kristen's.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying brunch. <em>Photo by Kristen</em></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-89268959218698494812013-04-02T12:30:00.001-07:002013-04-27T04:51:19.093-07:00Easter Travels<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cjcelH8qkhc/UWBPv-Z97YI/AAAAAAAAAwU/VkYM3ba_bqc/s1600/In+London.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cjcelH8qkhc/UWBPv-Z97YI/AAAAAAAAAwU/VkYM3ba_bqc/s320/In+London.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In London. <i>Photo by Anna</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Happy Easter!<br /><br />This Easter Study Abroad Lithuania students scattered all over <st1:country-region w:st="on">Lithuania</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>to experience the spirit of Easter. <br />Here are some of their insights about Easter and destinations where they went.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ashlee and Anna from <st1:city w:st="on">Taylor</st1:city>went for Easter to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<br /></b>Ashlee on Easter " I experienced the Sung Eucharist service at <st1:city w:st="on">St. Paul</st1:city>'s Cathedral in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place>. While Easter may be celebrated differently in every country and language, the world can't help but recognize the promise of new life and new beginnings."<br /><br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A large group of students went to visit Warsaw, Auschwitz and Krakow in Poland</b>. One of them was Justine from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Azusa</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Pacific</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<br />Justine about her Easter experience: "I spent Easter in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Krakow</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Poland</st1:country-region></st1:place>with some study abroad students. It was a great weekend to travel there because of the Easter celebrations. On Sunday morning we went to Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in the city center, although "Easter Saturday" is the bigger day for celebrations in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Poland</st1:place></st1:country-region>. It was nice to honor another tradition and experience something unfamiliar to us, I really enjoyed observing the traditions. On Saturday many masses go on and many people are walking around the city with baskets of eggs, bread, and sweets getting them blessed by the church."<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Samantha from Azusa Pacific University and Taylor from Bethel University were in Dublin, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<br /></b>Samantha about Easter and time in <st1:city w:st="on">Dublin</st1:city>: "Taylor and I traveled to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Dublin</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region></st1:place> for the long weekend. While we were there, we really wanted to be able to go to church on Easter Sunday but weren't sure if we would be able to. We ended up being able to attended an Easter service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dublin</st1:place></st1:city>. We were able to take communion with the rest of the congregation and the service was wonderful."<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And some students stayed in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lithuania</st1:place></st1:country-region>…</b></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g03aTPbqoxw/UWBP95cQujI/AAAAAAAAAwc/U5J6NdxOkyQ/s1600/In+Ireland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g03aTPbqoxw/UWBP95cQujI/AAAAAAAAAwc/U5J6NdxOkyQ/s320/In+Ireland.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Ireland. <i>Photo by</i> <i>Taylor</i></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Daniel from Taylor spend his Easter in Palanga, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lithuania</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />Daniel about his experience in Palanga " I went to Palanga, walked to the beach, drank coffee, and found a good local Russian restaurant."<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Samantha from Eastern stayed in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Klaipėda</st1:place></st1:city></b> "While a lot of the other study abroad kids traveled over Easter, I stayed on campus. I took advantage of the long weekend to enjoy quiet dorms, a girls night and lots of movies! It was a great way to relax and reflect on all the great stuff that's been going on this semester!" </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jessica from Cedarville University went to another city, Šiauliai</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">, to spend Easter with her roommate's family.</span></div>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4246450767050487163.post-34143862687961605082013-03-24T03:36:00.000-07:002013-03-25T03:12:58.147-07:00Spring Break in Russia? LET’S GO! - Samantha from Eastern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_vLre7Q5f8/UU7WDcXM2QI/AAAAAAAAAv4/IQgLeeWPzNA/s1600/Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_vLre7Q5f8/UU7WDcXM2QI/AAAAAAAAAv4/IQgLeeWPzNA/s640/Girls.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s so surreal to me that I just spent the past week in Russia. Honestly, that was the best spring break I have had with some of the most amazing people. <br /><br />We started with a bus ride from Lithuania to the train station in Riga, Latvia. It was my first overnight train and I really enjoyed it. One of the best parts was stopping at the boards of countries and getting new stamps in my pass port! Kate and I were up early and we got to watch the sun rise up over Russia. Finally, we got off of the train…we were in Moscow!<br /><br />We got to experience the Moscow metro (not in rush hour), ate at a mall and then went on a tour of the Kremlin and Armory. We also went to St. Basil’s and Christ the Savior cathedrals. Both were beautiful!<br /><br />We finished the week off in St. Petersburg. We started off with a walking tour of the city that lasted about three hours. After lunch, a few of us walked around and took pictures before heading back to the hostel to get ready for the opera that night, “Le nozze di Figaro”. I also went to the Russian museum then spent the afternoon having some alone time. I spent about 5 hours wandering around the Hermitage. It is crazy that I was personally able to see masterpieces like “Madonna and Child” and the works of artists like Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Rousseau and Monet. Not to mention the architecture that I was able to see.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sXRGMFkE-no/UU7WIiVKh5I/AAAAAAAAAwE/8OycZbtLldA/s1600/hermitage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sXRGMFkE-no/UU7WIiVKh5I/AAAAAAAAAwE/8OycZbtLldA/s640/hermitage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />I loved the whole trip. It was full of tons of laughter, some anger but overall, good attitudes. St. Petersburg was one of the most amazing cities and I would go back at a moment's notice. I didn't think I would like Russia as much as I did but that week really changed my mind. I also never thought that Lithuania would feel so much like home to me but as I walked back to my dorm, I realized how nice it was to be back.</span>Study Abroad Lithuaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292417356294292901noreply@blogger.com2